Talk Radio

For years I have listened to talk radio during my commute to and from work, both here and in LA. I felt that this was my way of connecting with the world outside my world.

Usually the morning consists of wacky morning DJ's or the local pop station. This would connect me with the pop culture and/or give me a shot of humor for the morning. The afternoon and evening drive would be Hugh Hewitt, or Michael Medved, or some other conservative rambling on about things that seemed bigger than me. I felt like this gave me a glimpse of the news of the day from a perspective I could trust.

This has come to an end. I am on a talk radio sabbatical. A break. The length of which is to be determined.

For years I have listened to the faceless voices provide endless hours of a jibber jabber of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions from their electronic milieu. After all this time I am starting to wonder where their ideas end and mine begin and visa versa.

The break began when I was listening to people arguing whether or not Miers should be considered a serious candidate for a position on the Supreme Court. I listened to both sides and didn't give a rip about what either side was saying. I found myself thinking that it was a waste of my time, my thoughts, my ears, to listen to these people prattle on about something that (as my mom would say) "in the light of eternity" wasn't a big thing.

I know, the Supreme Court is a big thing, it can change the way we live as Americans, it can overturn Roe v. Wade, etc. But, you know, one political leaning will out weigh the other for a while, then the tide will turn, and we have a new day. This is the way of things. If you listen to these shows you will have noticed that the name Miers has been replaced with Alito and all the chit-chat and rah-rahs are the same, they continue on undisturbed.

Over all the years I think I am becoming irritated that politics on the radio are so black and white. The republicans are right and the dems are wrong. Bush is great and Clinton is evil. Or as Air America may put it, Hillary is God and George is Satan. Nothing can be so clearly polarized. It reminds me of Psalm 33 that says:

"No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."

Listening to the talk has made me think that there are a lot of people out there trusting in a horse. I am not trying to say that listening to talk radio is all bad and not to be heard, I am just saying that maybe I was to reliant on it and need a break. I was one trusting the horse. God doesn't want me to think in such a way, He wants me to listen to His heart, His way of thinking. He wants me to be concerned with the things that are important "in the light of eternity".

For now, silence, the comfort of prayer, my own thoughts, or one of my few hundred cd's will need to keep me company on my commute through the beautiful hills and pastures of the Willamette Valley.